Written Answers

Thursday 1 June 2000

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish a consultation paper on alcohol misuse.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Advisory Committee on Alcohol Misuse is currently developing a national strategy and is involving those in the alcohol field in this process, consulting as appropriate over the next 18 months or so. This will culminate in a draft strategy on which we propose to consult widely.

Culture

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it sees for Historic Scotland in the development of a strategic approach to culture and the built heritage at a national and local level.

Rhona Brankin: Historic Scotland is the agency of the Scottish Executive which has responsibility for the built heritage. As such, it is playing a full part in the development of the national cultural strategy.

Dentists

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the contribution made by dentists through their participation in committee work relating to the Executive’s strategic and planning activities as well as to local health boards’ and NHS Trusts’ activities.

Susan Deacon: Dentists are able to make a positive contribution to the Scottish Executive’s planning and strategy through their participation in various committees at both national and local levels.

Dentists

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to remunerate dentists, given that they are independent contractors paid on a scale of fees basis, for costs incurred while involved in work on the Executive’s strategic and planning activities as well as local health boards’ and NHS Trusts’ activities.

Susan Deacon: General Dental Practitioners are currently eligible for remuneration for their participation in various committees operated by the Scottish Executive, health boards and Trusts.

Drug Misuse

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the possible remit of Scottish Drugs Courts.

Angus MacKay: There is no doubt that there are important lessons to be learnt from the whole range of policies and practices adopted in other countries in response to the problem of drug related crime. The Scottish Executive is exploring how we might incorporate the most effective of them into our own judicial system.

Drug Misuse

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available to local drugs forums to tackle the problem of drugs in Scotland.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive provides over £1 million in total to Drug Action Teams in Scotland, to support implementation of the national strategy Tackling Drugs in Scotland: Action in Partnership . It is for Drug Action Teams to decide how these resources are spent, including the level of support for individual drug forums.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to simplify and speed up the process of creating a record of need; whether it is satisfied that equivalent cases are treated consistently by different local authorities, and whether the current length of time involved in creating a record of need is acting as a deterrent to parents in general and poorer parents in particular.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In their response to the Riddell Report in autumn 1999, Ministers set up a National Special Educational Needs Advisory Forum under the chairmanship of Peter Peacock, Deputy Minister for Children and Education. At its inaugural meeting on 28 March, the forum agreed that its initial priority would be to examine the whole Record of Needs process, including the issues to which the question refers.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to (a) prevent the dip in pupil performance at S1 and S2 level highlighted by Her Majesty’s Inspectors and (b) increase parents’ confidence that all pupils will be encouraged to achieve their potential at this stage in their education.

Mr Sam Galbraith: HM Inspectors of Schools have published a number of reports to support schools in raising pupil attainment in S1 and S2. The reports have been followed up by discussions with Directors of Education on how the reports’ recommendations can be implemented.

  There has also been wide consultation, involving local authorities, teachers, parents and national organisations, following publication of the HMI review of assessment and testing at 5-14 and pre-school last December. Improving pupil performance and increasing parent confidence will be key considerations in our response to this consultation.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what subjects in S1 and S2 are taught using setting procedures, broken down by local authority, and what evidence there is that this procedure improves pupil performance.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The information held is incomplete and is not broken down by local authority.

  The HM Inspectors of Schools report Achievement for All published in 1996 drew on the results of international studies on achievement, a review of research literature and the Assessment of Achievement Programme to help inform its findings. There has been no recent specifically Scottish research which examines the effects of class organisation on learning and teaching.

  Judgements made during HMI inspections suggest that when used effectively the use of attainment groups, setting or broadband setting, can help improve pupil performance.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what local authorities are meeting set targets in the S1 and S2 curriculum in science, modern languages and writing and what steps it will take to address any problems highlighted by the number of local authorities failing to meet their targets in these subject areas.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Targets for S1 and S2 attainment are set for reading, writing and mathematics but not for science and modern languages. Progress against each of these targets, by authority, are detailed in the publication Raising Standards – Setting Targets, Setting Targets in Scottish Schools National and Education Authority Information 1999 published by HMI Audit Unit in December 1999.

  The framework for setting targets in secondary schools to raise levels of achievement in numeracy and literacy has offered a clear focus for improvement for schools and authorities which will help improve ability and raise attainment in these subject areas.

Enterprise

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure the survival of the papermaking industry in Scotland.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive and the Enterprise Network offer a wide range of schemes and initiatives to help companies address particular issues affecting their competitiveness. Scottish Enterprise is currently in discussion with the paper and timber industries in Scotland about the scope for a cluster-based strategy for the sector.

Equal Opportunities

Ms Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to promote equality of opportunity in the fields of education, lifelong learning and economic development in order to address gender divisions in the labour market.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive is working together with Her Majesty’s Government to break down the old barriers to equality in education, lifelong learning and economic development. We are committed to the promotion of opportunity for all of our people all of the time. Women in Scotland, in particular, will benefit from initiatives including the Scottish University for Industry and Individual Learning Accounts.

European Funding

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had with The Scotland Office regarding the reinstatement of the four Angus wards excluded from the revised Assisted Area proposals.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with The Scotland Office on a range of matters affecting the development of the Scottish economy, including the proposals for a new Assisted Areas map.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Ochil) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what stage the development of electronic prescribing of medicines has reached.

Susan Deacon: A major project on the electronic transmission of prescriptions is being taken forward as part of the Scottish Care Information (SCI) programme which was announced on 21 April. The next key step will be to establish a proving site, which will test out the connections required between General Practice, community pharmacy and the Common Services Agency.

Health

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it anticipates the recently announced additional resources for the National Health Service will have on delayed discharges from hospitals.

Iain Gray: I expect a positive impact in those cases where finance is a factor contributing to the delayed discharge.

Homelessness

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to commit any further resources in the current financial year to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping other than those already committed to the Rough Sleepers Initiative.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I am pleased to announce, as an addition to the resources previously allocated for the Rough Sleepers Initiative, that the Executive is making available a further £10 million this financial year to reduce rough sleeping, and to tackle homelessness.

  Of this £10 million, £4 million will be made available through health boards to fund health projects which will support RSI-funded projects and £6 million will be made available this year for local authorities to put in place a range of projects which will provide accommodation for homeless households, in particular focussed on reducing the inappropriate use of bed and breakfast accommodation and to tackle homelessness amongst street prostitutes.

Housing

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the Scottish Homes definition of barrier-free housing.

Jackie Baillie: Scottish Homes design guidance Housing For Varying Needs includes advice on barrier-free design standards. This guidance was published in 1998 following wide-ranging consultations with interested parties and we have no plans, at present, to ask Scottish Homes to undertake a review.

Housing

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the guidance given to Scottish Homes and local authorities in order to ensure that all homes built with an element of public funding are built to a "lifetime" standard.

Jackie Baillie: Scottish Homes has recently published design guidance entitled Housing For Varying Needs which endorses barrier-free design as the preferred standard for mainstream housing. Scottish Ministers have agreed that, where possible, all new housing funded by Scottish Homes should be built to the standards contained within the guidance. The guidance is also recommended to local authorities and commended to the private sector.

  The barrier-free requirements in the Scottish Homes guidance are broadly equivalent to the English and Welsh "Lifetime" standards concept.

Housing

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review building regulations on dwellings with a view to improving the thermal efficiency of new dwellings.

Sarah Boyack: Building regulations are presently being considered for amendment, to ensure that effective energy efficiency measures are incorporated into new buildings. It is the intention to issue a consultation document in July on proposed changes to Part J, Conservation of fuel and power , of the Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990.

Joint Ministerial Committees

Allan Wilson (Cunninghame North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits Joint Ministerial Committees bring to Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Joint Ministerial Committees help the Scottish Executive and the UK Government work together to ensure that their respective policies and programmes operate coherently and effectively for the benefit of people in Scotland.

Justice

Allan Wilson (Cunninghame North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many criminal cases are pending appeal on the grounds of alleged fingerprint misidentification.

Colin Boyd QC: I am aware of one case where alleged fingerprint misidentification is likely to form a principal ground of appeal.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6319 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 May 2000, when it will provide a substantive answer to S1W-2963, lodged on 3 December 1999 and which was not answered on 25 January 2000 as stated in the answer to S1W-6319.

Sarah Boyack: With apologies for any confusion caused, PQ S1W-2963 was answered on 19 May.

Prison Service

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the numbers and proportions of people in penal establishments in Scotland compare with the rest of the UK and relevant European comparators and what steps are being taken to reverse the growth in the prison population.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in the table below.

  We are committed to ensuring that the courts have a wide range of sentencing options available so that sentencers can make a non-custodial decision where they consider it is appropriate to do so in the circumstances of the particular case.

  We are working with local authorities to improve the quality and effectiveness of community disposals with the aim of increasing the confidence of sentencers and the public in such disposals. (The use of probation and community service orders has almost doubled over the past 10 years.)

  We have funded the national roll-out of Supervised Attendance Orders for fine defaulters and are considering extension of the current pilot diversion from prosecution schemes.

  New community disposals being piloted include Drug Treatment and Testing Orders for drug misusers who commit frequent crimes to fund their drug addiction.

  We are also piloting Restriction of Liberty Orders (electronic tagging) and are reviewing options for wider use of electronic monitoring.

  Funding for community disposals has increased by 21% over the past two years to stand at £42.8 million.

  Prison Population; rate per 100,000 population by jurisdiction as at 1 September 1999

  


Country
  

1998
  

1999
  

Rate2 per 100,000 population in 
1999
  



England & Wales3


65,771
  

65,594
  

125
  



Northern Ireland
  

1,454
  

1,158
  

69
  



Scotland4


6,018
  

6,0309


118
  



Austria3


6,891
  

6,877
  

85
  



Belgium4


7,860
  

8,143
  

80
  



Cyprus
  

226
  

247
  

37
  



Czech Republic5


22,067
  

23,060
  

224
  



Denmark
  

3,340
  

3,496
  

66
  



Finland5


2,585
  

2,389
  

46
  



France6


53,607
  

53,948
  

89
  



Germany7


78,324
  

..
  

9510




Greece
  

7,129
  

7,525
  

72
  



Hungary5


14,366
  

16,281
  

161
  



Ireland (Eire)
  

2,620
  

2,741
  

73
  



Italy
  

49,864
  

51,427
  

89
  



Luxembourg
  

392
  

..
  

9110




Netherlands8


11,759
  

11,872
  

75
  



Norway4


2,466
  

..
  

5610




Poland3


59,180
  

54,842
  

142
  



Portugal
  

14,330
  

13,086
  

131
  



Russia5


1,009,172
  

1,060,085
  

729
  



Slovenia
  

793
  

..
  

4210




Spain5


44,370
  

44,197
  

111
  



Sweden7


5,290
  

5,270
  

59
  



Switzerland
  

5,648
  

5,950
  

83
  



  Sources: Home Office.

  Statistical contacts in each country.

  Notes:

  1. At 1 September: number of prisoners including pre-trial detainees.

  2. Based on estimates of national population.

  3. At 31 August.

  4. Average daily population.

  5. At 31 December.

  6. Metropolitan and overseas departments.

  7. At 30 September.

  8. At 1 January.

  9. Provisional figure.

  10. In 1998.

Private Finance Initiative

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all those Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership projects for which full business cases have been published since May 1999 and indicate for which projects it anticipates full business cases will be published during the current financial year.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership projects for which full business cases have been published since May 1999 are:

  


Client Body
  

Project Name
  



Highland Primary Care NHS Trust
  

Psychiatric & Learning Disability Service
  



South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust
  

Redevelopment of medicine for the Elderly Services
  



The Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust
  

Hospital Information System
  



  *The above Full Business Cases have been placed in SPICe.

  The projects that the Scottish Executive anticipates will be published during the current financial year are:

  


Client Body
  

Project Name
  



Glasgow City Council
  

Project 2002 (Glasgow Secondary Schools)
  



Dumfries & Galloway Acute & Maternity Hospitals NHS 
Trust
  

Daycase & Maternity Services
  



North of Scotland Water Authority
  

Tay PPP Project

Road Safety

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve road safety for children.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive and the UK Government recently announced targets for road accident casualty reductions in the period to 2010. These include a 50% reduction in the number of child fatal and serious casualties. The targets, together with a strategy for achieving them, were published on 1 March.

Road Safety

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding for road safety publicity in the current financial year.

Sarah Boyack: Road safety publicity is a powerful tool which has had a major influence on public attitudes and behaviour. The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for the development of key road safety educational resources and publicity messages. The campaign has produced a range of excellent road safety educational resources and conducted highly effective publicity campaigns.

  The Executive will be allocating a further £500,000 to the campaign in the current financial year, in addition to the planned funding of £1,745,000, to enable it to step up its programme of road safety publicity and education initiatives.

Roads

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on any further progress on the multi-modal study into the completion of the M8.

Sarah Boyack: The consultants have held a series of focus groups and individual in-depth interviews in West Central Scotland and a consultative forum in Cumbernauld. The forum was well attended and provided the opportunity for comment on the range of problems and possible solutions, the scope of the study and the study objectives. A further consultative forum is planned before the end of June. We expect the consultant’s report on the preliminary stage of the study around the end of July.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the amount spent on structural and cyclical maintenance of roads to the level of £166 million per annum considered necessary by the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: It is entirely a matter for councils as local roads authorities to determine expenditure on the structural and cyclical maintenance of local roads in their areas from within the block resources available to them for financing a wide range of services for which they are responsible. It is for local authorities to determine their spending priorities across these services.

Standard Life

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of any implications for the financial sector if the demutualisation of Standard Life goes ahead.

Henry McLeish: The Special General Meeting being held by Standard Life on 27 June 2000 will include a vote on the company’s mutual status. The issue of demutualisation is a matter for the members and the board of Standard Life and the Executive does not therefore wish to anticipate the outcome of the vote. However, as Standard Life is a major Scottish employer, the Executive will continue to monitor developments.

Telecommunications

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures it will require to follow to remove permitted development rights in general for telecommunications developments.

Sarah Boyack: The type of changes we envisage will require secondary legislation in the form of an amendment to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.

Telecommunications

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale will be for the introduction of any primary legislation which will be required following the Minister for Transport and the Environment’s remarks about planning controls for telecommunications developments in the Parliament on 11 May 2000.

Sarah Boyack: We do not, at present, see a need for primary legislation to deal with this issue.

Telecommunications

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those conservation areas in respect of which Article 4 directions to withdraw permitted development rights for telecommunications developments have been issued; whether it has the power to remove permitted development rights for telecommunications developments in all of Scotland’s conservation areas and, if so, what plans it has to use such powers, and whether it has the powers to remove permitted development rights in any other circumstances and, if so, what plans it has to use these powers.

Sarah Boyack: The list below contains details from our records on Article 4 directions. The list contains directions, approved for conservation areas, which include restrictions on permitted development rights for telecommunications development. Our records prior to 1992, when the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 came into force, may be incomplete.

  The promotion of Article 4 Directions for conservation areas is usually a matter for individual planning authorities in the first instance. Such directions require the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The Scottish Ministers may also promote Article 4 Directions for any area that they may specify. This power does not extend to all permitted development rights but does include those for telecommunications code system operators. We have no plans at present to use this power.

  The Scottish Ministers may also remove specific permitted development rights by amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.

  


Local Authority
  

Conservation Area
  

Date Made
  

Date Approved
  



Aberdeenshire
  

Ballater
  

15/11/1995
  

20/12/1995
  






Kincardine O'Neil
  

15/11/1995
  

20/12/1995
  






Braemar
  

04/07/1997
  

08/12/1997
  






Inverey
  

04/07/1997
  

08/12/1997
  






Aboyne
  

04/07/1997
  

08/12/1997
  



Dumfries and Galloway
  

Wigtown
  

10/03/2000
  

19/04/2000
  



Dundee City
  

The West Ferry
  

14/04/1997
  

06/08/1997
  






The Broughty Ferry
  

14/04/1997
  

06/08/1997
  






The Grove
  

14/04/1997
  

06/08/1997
  






The Reres Hill
  

14/04/1997
  

06/08/1997
  






The Forthill
  

14/04/1997
  

06/08/1997
  






The Blackness Industrial
  

01/08/1997
  

07/10/1997
  






The South Tay Street
  

01/08/1997
  

07/10/1997
  



Edinburgh City
  

Juniper Green
  

21/12/1993
  

29/04/1994
  






Morton Mains
  

21/12/1993
  

29/04/1994
  






Swanston
  

21/12/1993
  

29/04/1994
  






Colinton
  

21/12/1993
  

29/04/1994
  



Fife
  

Anstruther
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Auchtermuchty
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Balmerino
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Cellardyke
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Ceres
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Crail
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Cupar
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Elie
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Falkland
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Kilconquhar
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Kingsbarns
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Kilrenny
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Leuchars
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Lower Largo
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Newburgh
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Newport-on-Tay
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Pittenweem
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






St. Andrews
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






St. Monans
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Strathmiglo
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Upper Largo
  

19/02/1993
  

25/10/1993
  






Collessie
  

19/02/1993
  

06/12/1993
  






Letham
  

05/11/1993
  

30/03/1994
  






Hepburn Gardens, St. Andrews
  

05/11/1993
  

30/03/1994
  






Colinsburgh
  

06/06/1996
  

30/07/1997
  






Brunton
  

06/06/1996
  

30/07/1997
  



Glasgow City
  

Pollok Park
  

24/11/1995
  

30/03/1998
  



North Lanarkshire
  

Kilsyth
  

11/01/1989
  

04/10/1989
  






Dullatur
  

11/01/1989
  

04/10/1989
  



Perth and Kinross
  

King Street/James Street, Perth
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






Fortingall
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






Kenmore
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






St John Street, Perth
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






City Mills, Perth
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






Muthill
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






George Street/Perth Bridge, Perth
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






Marshall Place/St. Leonard’s Bank, Perth
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






Tay Street, Perth
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






Comrie
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  






Barossa Place/Atholl Street, Perth
  

20/12/1985
  

03/08/1988
  



South Ayrshire
  

Girvan
  

01/10/1993
  

06/03/1995
  



South Lanarkshire
  

East Kilbride Village
  

10/05/1995
  

18/07/1995
  






Hamilton Town Centre
  

10/10/1995
  

18/07/1996

Transport

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards introducing a national concessionary fare scheme for pensioners and people with sight or mobility problems.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive proposes in the Integrated Transport (Scotland) Bill to take powers which will enable Ministers subsequently to set, common to all Scottish local authorities, a minimum level of concession for pensioners and disabled people travelling within Scotland. A research study is currently underway examining the costs of a variety of different options, with a view to reporting in August. Free travel on rail, bus, ferry and underground services throughout Scotland is already available to blind people following the introduction on 1 December 1999 of a national concessionary travel scheme. It was brought about through a voluntary partnership agreement between the Scottish Executive, Scottish local authorities, Strathclyde Passenger Transport and rail, bus and ferry companies.

Transport

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to require local authorities to specify that only transport with fitted seatbelts can be used on contracted services conveying pupils to or from school.

Peter Peacock: Contracts for the provision of school transport are matters for the local authorities and there are no plans for the Executive to make specific requirements relating to the fitment of seat belts. It is open to local authorities, as a matter of their own policy in awarding a contract, to consider specifications which exceed legal requirements.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many awards of Transport Challenge Funding have been made, committed or offered to local authorities for projects which include dedicated bus lanes; what procedures it uses to ensure that such projects will reduce congestion, and whether it sets performance targets for local authority projects when it awards Transport Challenge Funding.

Sarah Boyack: So far 11 projects which include dedicated bus lanes have been awarded funding from the Public Transport Fund. In addition, a further two projects were awarded funding from the previous Government’s Transport Challenge Fund. When a bid is received an assessment of the proposed aims of the project is carried out and this is taken into consideration in assessing competing bids. Successful authorities are required to submit an action plan for their projects against which implementation of the proposals is monitored by the Executive but no specific performance targets are set. The monitoring of projects in terms of reducing congestion is a matter for local authorities; no bus lane project supported under the Public Transport Fund is yet fully complete.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes after the implementation of bus lanes supported by Transport Challenge Funding to ensure that congestion has been reduced, that performance targets have been met and that bus lanes are fully used.

Sarah Boyack: The evaluation of a project after its completion is an important part of any project. However, it is a matter for local authorities to monitor the effects of the projects for which they are responsible. The guidance issued to local authorities inviting bids to the Public Transport Fund (PTF) sets out how the Scottish Executive expects local authorities to evaluate projects after completion. The Scottish Executive places considerable weight on evaluation of its own projects and expects local authorities to do the same. As part of their bids local authorities are expected to demonstrate that appropriate evaluation and monitoring procedures will be followed and explain how they intend to measure whether the objectives have been achieved. This is an important part of the Executive’s appraisal of a bid and to be successful the Executive must be confident that these procedures are in place.

Voluntary Sector

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine any difficulties experienced by voluntary organisations in relation to "matched funding" and, in particular, those faced by Central Rape Crisis.

Jackie Baillie: The Executive is committed to developing a stable funding environment for the voluntary sector. Matched funding, which can be in cash or in kind, can strengthen the impact of the work of a voluntary organisation in a number of ways in addition to the financial benefit. It can, for example, ensure a local stake in a group or project, or promote partnerships. Central Rape Crisis has been granted £12,800 from the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund with matched funding coming from Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland.

War Memorials

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6104 by Mr Frank McAveety on 10 May 2000, whether it will consider a contribution from public funds to the proposed memorial of the 15 Lanarkshire men who won the Victoria Cross, given that it is a memorial to famous Lanarkshire people rather than a war memorial.

Mr Frank McAveety: Further to my answer to question S1W-6104, memorials, whether they are war memorials or memorials, are traditionally raised by public subscription and private donations, rather than from public funding. Although the Scottish Executive is unable to assist financially with the cost of funding this memorial, we are willing to assist in whatever other way we can. If the campaign organisers have not already done so, I suggest they contact both North and South Lanarkshire Councils, in order to establish whether they can offer any form of support also.

Working for Communities Programme

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Working for Communities programme is making in the 13 pathfinder areas.

Ms Wendy Alexander: All Pathfinders are now up and running helping to develop new ways of involving local people in setting priorities for their areas and bringing services more in line with the needs of local people.

  A Monitoring Framework is now in place to help us learn lessons from Pathfinders' experience and Pathfinders' first annual reports will be published in the autumn.

Young People

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prioritise youth work in Scotland.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Youth work in the statutory and voluntary sectors already makes a major contribution to the personal and social development of many young people across Scotland. We believe it has the potential to do more. I expect to make a statement about this once we have completed our evaluation of Community Learning Strategies.